Conditions Report
Report From Tuesday, February 20, 2024
Spring was in the air at Winter Park Resort, Colorado, on Tuesday, February 20. It was a sunny, warm day, and it wasn’t just any other ski day. We were testing the new XO skis. A ski brand based in Switzerland that focuses on creating happy skiers. A concept so intriguing I needed to test it out myself.
Being the Tuesday after President’s Day Weekend, we hoped the crowds had died down. However, the lift lines on the Mary Jane side were much longer than we had hoped. It seems quite a few others had shared that idea.
Our first test for the XOs was the Wildwood Glades off Sunnyside. Temps were high, for February, the day before it had been bright and sunny. We could tell, the snow was crunchy and crispy. However, the XOs powered through the variable terrain quickly and nimbly, like a sports car. After passing the first test and searching for fewer crowds and quicker lines, we headed to the Winter Park side of the Resort.
The commute over to the new Wild Spur Express was easy on the XOs. Quick and carvey making it easy to dodge traffic on the crowded cat tracks. Once we got there, we ripped some hot laps down Big Valley. It was choppy but soft – the northern-facing slope was a good call. Now the XOs showed their true potential. These skis are at home on wide-open groomers. Not much can beat leaving trenches down a soft groomer.
After some quick groomer laps, we were ready to move on to something more. We satisfied our hankering for the bumps with Gambler, making our way towards the resort’s front side. We hopped on the Looking Glass and popped over to the Explorer.
Now it was time to switch things up. Let’s see how these skis perform in the bumps. Retta’s Run and Outrigger were amazing! Soft and creamy. Just enough sunshine hitting them to keep them soft and forgiving. This is where the XOs surprised us. The amount of camber in these skis not only makes them a joy to carve with but also keeps them poppy and playful in the bumps. They were surprisingly nimble, yet the power of the ski was uncompromised. The best part was going from ripping a tight bump line to getting low and carving up a groomer on the way to the lift. Which is exactly what we did – over and over.
Now we began making our way back to the Jane side – with pepperoni pizza on our minds. But first, we needed to feel the true speed potential of these skis. We decided to take a rip, T to B, from the top of the Gondola, down Hughes, to the base. After using CARV this past early season to improve my carving capabilities, I was excited to beat my personal best on the XO skis. Flying down the front of the mountain with such power and speed was a thrill!
Of course, to supplement the groomer laps, we bopped down Drunken Frenchman to get back to the Mary Jane base, where our pizza awaited. Now I didn’t beat any SKI:IQ records through the bumps but it sure was fun.
By now, the afternoon rolled around, and so had the clouds. After a few more soft bump laps on Boiler, Derailer, and Long Haul to Short Haul, we called it quits and began the trek back to Denver. Our legs were tired, and our faces were sore from smiling throughout the fun day we had on the new XO skis. A perfect combination of a classic carving ski and a modern free-ride ski, suitable for any skier and all types of terrain.
